Six Months in the Life of a Sergeant
by UnpublishedWriter
Summary: A few shorts in Helen Geary's first six months with Lord Katse
1. Chapter 1

**Six Months in the Life of a Sergeant**

Chapter One

"They're healing nicely, Sergeant," the doctor said. "Won't have so much as a shiny spot in a few more days."

Helen Geary pulled on her tunic. "Thanks. Can I go back to work?"

"Bored?"

"Loafing around while my lord works makes me feel inadequate."

"There's no danger of distorting the graft matrix, now. Just don't get into a fight again too soon."

"That's never on the agenda." Back to work. Back to her lord.

***** ***** *****

A tiny smile crooked Berg Katse's mouth as she sailed into their quarters. He'd missed her presence at his side. The Aegean base was now as safe as Cross Karakoram, but he had felt her absence. "Now that you've finished goofing off, Sergeant, get back to work."

"And it's great to be back, sir." She took the handheld from him.

"We have a great deal of information, yet I still can't deduce why those fools tried to kill me. I never met either one until that day."

She shook her head. "Was it really only a week ago? Big difference between Galactor and the rest of the world: we have all this in a week." Two flash drives of data filled the device. "You know, it might turn out to be some stupid personal reason that never made it into a report. They're still not talking?"

"Only insults. Time for chemical persuasion."

"That still might not work. I had a cousin who had surgery. While was still groggy, he apologized to his wife for cheating on her. He was eleven. Too many movies."

"We have better drugs than anesthetics and sedatives. The proper mix could get a straight answer out of me."

"I doubt that." She resumed reading.

His eyes narrowed. At the phrase 'chemical persuasion', she'd reacted unconsciously, and perhaps never noticed.

What had happened during their years apart? She had a child, a daughter, which she gave over when she joined Galactor. No father listed. No attempts to find or see the child.

_I'll not ask. If she wants to tell me, she will._

"Won't have to play with mixing and matching if we ask the proper questions during the first interviews," she said.

"Do you see anything?" He'd been looking at the damn reports so much that nothing new registered.

"Not yet. Why did you order the Tritan base captain to isolate and question Fish-face's fellow clones? Says here that D'Arman and his followers forged the orders to transfer him. They wouldn't know anything."

"That creature is part of the clone-stock of that trainee I killed."

An incredulous snort. "Are you joking, sir?"

"It's true."

"That is so --- _fictional_ --- it's ridiculous. It's the sort of thing someone writes. You tell me about a man you killed in training, and barely a day or two later, you kill his clone. You killed his brother, so he wanted revenge? How would he know?"

"It's not a secret. It's in my file. Anyone can find it out."

"If they knew to look. An experimental subject was a leadership trainee?"

"We don't know what shape Earth will be in when we take over. Part of our work is to produce the new generation that will survive and carry on." _We could end up fitted out with prosthetics and artificial organs._ He wasn't certain he wanted that, even for the fools. "They, and other variations, are fully sentient and self-aware." And supposedly loyal to Galactor, including Leader X and himself.

"He was hung like a porn star."

"That was not planned."

"The human genitals, or their size?"

"The size."

"The Deep Ones as porn stars," she muttered.

_She reads Lovecraft?_ "Not part of the plan, either."

"I bet. Ah. D'Arman was at Tritan. Maybe he and the finned wonder were involved." She winced. "Oh, I should not have thought that."

"He should die just for what I'm imagining."

"Back on topic back on topic." She headed back to her train of thought. "The new versions of homo sapiens are sentient. And the one you had to kill impressed everyone with his leadership abilities. He may have decided to whittle down the competition."

"I think that was his main motive. He was also the least human in the class, although none of us knew it." _He also learned I was female that day. What is it about human(oid) males?_

"How could you not? He had scales and that head --- Oh. _That's_ why Galactor captains wear costumes. It's not just for disguise. There are other experiments out there."

"Think I'd have these, otherwise?" He tapped the 'ears' on his mask. "You may be onto something."

"On to what?"

"The other clones would have known that he was in training. One of their own, born in a laboratory, was on his way up."

"His success was their success. They were, through him, the equals of humans. Then you broke his nose and killed him. Another cull, another proof that they were human property." The sad world of the marginalized, whether human or otherwise.

"And D'Arman, with his own reasons to dislike me, found a clone who wanted revenge." The various experimental beings were not always kept locked away. A casual 'The boss is an asshole' conversation could have ended with the two finding something in common. "What did those fools think would happen, if they succeeded?"

Geary shrugged. "Maybe they didn't have time to plan that far ahead. We _did_ surprise them. They had the opportunity, and they took it. Or perhaps they wanted revenge so badly they didn't think past killing you."

_How lucky was I?_ The fact that Geary regarded him as Lord of Galactor, not her childhood friend, had saved her life on the way to this base. Without her, he would have had only Private Eminescu (young and unskilled) to protect him. _I could be dead, now. Dead, or their prisoner_.

He looked back at the reports. "One piece of information can lead to others. I don't know D'Arman, but did I know someone else that he might have known? Another command trainee, perhaps?"

"Or someone he came to know? It's only been a few years since you were put in charge. The ones who didn't make it are still upset, I'm sure. This could be in the name of someone close enough for him to be angry on their account, but not so close the name is in here."

"Even if it were, it might not be the same one used during training. After Leader X chose me, some of them changed their aliases. They were able leaders, and were assigned to lesser positions. They felt their subordinates would not have confidence in them if word got out." Most of his classmates had been pleased at his elevation. Besides it taking the heat off them, several had also thought him the one who should lead Galactor for Leader X.

"Those aliases _are_ classified?"

"Yes." He called Chidambaram. "Ranjit? Investigate D'Arman and Moran's families friends, lovers, and acquaintances. I want everything, even if it was a drunken boink at an office party."

Geary continued reading. "I really hope there's a much better reason, if only because you deserve so much better for a motive."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

The new uniform had arrived. Still mostly yellow (hardly her color), but the blue areas now had a purple cast. Her lord was forming a special escort for those operations that required him to have trustworthy soldiers available in a pinch.

Geary donned it, noting that the torso armoring had also changed. The new material was a Galactor invention, superior to most on the market. Her headgear was more of a helmet, with a built-in radio transceiver in addition to the audio and visual equipment. The new materials caused the new uniform to hang differently from her old one. It would take some getting used to.

She closed the locker and stepped out of the changing room.

Captain Maddox leaned against the wall. "Good morning, Sergeant."

None of the (few) photographs did Maddox justice. Like Lord Katse, she had a presence no image could convey. And she did indeed resemble _him_, as if she were his twin sister. "Good morning, ma'am. Are you here to see Lord Katse?"

"I came here for you. I thought it was time you met my Devilstars."

Galactor's all-female assassination unit, whose members were rumored to be born into it rather than recruited. She had seen them, at a distance. "Yes, ma'am."

Ranjit had told her about a rumor that Captain Maddox was one of Lord Katse's disguises. She had no doubt that he could pull off a female disguise, but there was no way that Maddox was one of them. Her one-piece fit like a second skin, leaving no place to conceal any indications of padding or other prostheses. Nor was there an Adam's apple on that elegant throat.

"You've been on Lord Katse's staff almost three months, am I right?"

"Yes, ma'am." Where was this going?

"You have made them all quite jealous."

"Ma'am?"

"Certain jokers in Galactor call the Devilstars 'Lord Katse's harem.' I think some of them took it too seriously."

_And I'm meeting them? Pissed off, armed, women?_ She searched Maddox's face for treachery, found only tolerant amusement. "They serve Galactor and Lord Katse, as do I. He needs them." _Are they jealous of my position, or_ _do they each wish to be his lover?_ Which desire she could empathize with.

***** ***** *****

They entered a lounge area that looked to Geary like any other break/recreation/ready room on the base, except for the décor and scattered magazines. Only here, she thought, would women's magazines and gun magazines share the same table. _I'll bet their shopping trips are unusual: cute shoes and big guns._

The women stopped talking and looked at her. They were mostly young, in their twenties, and their appearance ran from plain to beautiful. No truly distinctive features. At least a third were in their thirties or older.

A woman in her late thirties, dusky-skinned with Arab/Middle Eastern features, rose from her seat, leaving a cute Asiatic pouting.

"Zaida, my lieutenant," Maddox said. Her tone suggested that they might be more than superior and subordinate. "Zaida, this is Sergeant Geary."

A quick appraisal, with special attention to Geary's bust. "A pleasure to meet you, Sergeant."

_I must be her type._ "Yes, ma'am. I've heard a great deal about the Devilstars."

"We deny everything. Let me introduce them."

Devilstar membership was international. There was a Scandinavian woman so pale she just missed albinism, an African woman so dark she was almost literally black, and nearly every hue and ethnicity in between. There would never be any difficulty finding an assassin to blend into the crowd.

And, yes, most of them were jealous (and perhaps envious). They were Lord Katse's elite unit. Sure, they were assassins, used only for that purpose, but they had been here while he fought off an attack with her. _If he has me, he doesn't need them. That's what they think._

"Lord Katse," Maddox said, "is forming another specialized unit, at Leader X's request. It is not a personal guard, although his protection will be among their primary duties. The men and women chosen will be the best, so it will take time to bring it up to strength. This unit will supplement existing forces, or replace them, as needed. Lord Katse has asked me for recommendations. Since Sergeant Geary's word should be taken as our lord's word, I thought you should meet her."

Several of the women looked hopefully at their captain. _We don't need the lovesick. He has two of those, already._

"And now I should return her to her duties. Sergeant?"

"After you, ma'am."

In the corridor, Geary said, "You were looking for claws, ma'am."

"Perceptive. The Devilstars live, eat, and breathe their purpose, but they are also human. When he graced us with a first visit, at least half fell in lust."

"It --- happens."

"I wished to see their reactions to you. Lord Katse does not need soldiers who cannot keep their minds on their work."

_And I don't need a bullet in the back._


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

[Author's note: Spoilers for the movie _Homicidal_.]

Late night vigil, waiting for orders from their lord. Ranjit Chidambaram loaded the movie as Geary poured soft drinks. "One of your cheese-fests?" she asked.

"A William Castle movie. _Homicidal_."

"That title's not promising."

"Oh, no, he didn't make _those_ sorts of movies. When television became common, movie-makers were faced with smaller audiences for their films. Many resorted to gimmicks. Castle was known for his little tricks: spurious votes over a character's fate, a few minutes of grace for the nervous to leave the theater, electric shocks in the seats, that sort of thing. His best one was written by Robert Bloch and starred Barbara Stanwyck. The gimmick in this film's pretty good."

A few minutes in, Helen said, "She's named after the dictionary."

"I wonder if that was intentional."

"More like the ten thousand Shaws with the first name Bernard: it _sounds_ right, so Mom and Dad don't look any further and find the playwright George Bernard Shaw."

Later: "That actor playing the brother is rather bad. Too flat."

Still later: "Is that actor actually and actress?"

End credits: "She makes a convincing man, but not a convincing male actor."

Ranjit picked up the remote. "How about _Theatre of Blood_? Vincent Price as a mad Shakespearean actor. The hair salon scene should not be missed."

Shakespeare. _Homicidal_. "Is there a theme to this evening?"

"Given Lord Katse's mission, I thought there should be one."

She reloaded the soft drink and popcorn. "Then we need _The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert_, and _To Wong Foo: Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar_."

"They're in the queue."

Lord Katse was on a mission, in female disguise, a mission too important to leave to any other agent. The pair's job was to wait for him to call for pick-up at a designated location.

"I don't know how he does it." Geary spent a few minutes watching the opening credits, deducing which of Shakespeare's plays were used in them. "He's so --- male. Then he puts on the dress and a couple of accessories, and he could start a fight among straight men with just a wink." Nice hip wiggle, too. _I think he goes on these missions to have some fun._

Ranjit actually giggled. "Have you heard about the mission he went on with Bledsoe?"

She hadn't heard about that one. "The big guy who looks like Burt Lancaster?" Enough like him to play the part in a biopic. "Oh, no."

"Oh, yes. I saw them return. I've never seen a car parked so quickly in my life. Bledsoe was in a state."

"I can imagine the state." _And my mountain cat was enjoying every second_. Galactor had awakened a wicked streak of humor in him.

"Our lord looked particularly lovely that night." He grinned. "They were out to assassinate Ambassador Aganoor. Before they could get close, a wronged woman charged up and opened fire."

Perfect. Absolutely perfect. It was so much better when the targets were taken out by others. Fewer trails to conceal. "I think I read about that."

No doubt he was enjoying this mission, but for different reasons. A prize pet of the Ameris right, one who practiced what he loudly preached (so far as they knew), was about to be seriously compromised. This would give Galactor access to Ameris's Department of Defense, in their special projects division, at least for a short time.

"This movie is over the top," she said. "And the daughter is in on it. Hmm. I think I saw Rigg in a version of _Witness for the Prosecution_."

At the end, she laughed. "I don't think anyone's been so clever with the Bard before or since."

[Author's Note, 2: There is a remake of _Witness for the Prosecution_, which I've been looking for. Late 1970s or early 1980s.]


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

_I have a mystery._ Was it an important one? Or was it nothing?

She had met and spoken with Captain Maddox several times since that first meeting with the Devilstars. She had seen the captain enter or leave Lord Katse's office. Yet, she never saw them together. Never spoke to them both in the same room, or was on the radio or telephone with one while the other was present. _I've heard him speak when she enters or leaves his office._

Her lord's sense of humor could be at play. Four months was a bit long to keep it up, but not unreasonable, under the circumstances. Unlike some other captains, Maddox only contacted Lord Katse when absolutely necessary. The situation was perfect for a little game.

Ranjit was certain that he had seen Lord Katse in his office when Maddox came or left. On the other hand, he could not recall seeing the two walk past his desk together.

_And why should he disguise himself as a woman to lead the Devilstars?_ They served him anyway. Maddox was their captain.

_Ah, I'm getting stupid. I've learned there's more to Galactor than I thought. Now I'm seeing mysteries where there aren't any._


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Helen went to the dresser and picked up the one thing remaining from her childhood in Hontwarl. A box, 8x6x4 inches, inlaid and lacquered, without a single visible joint.

Sean's gift, made after-hours in woodshop, with his instructor's permission.

According to the stereotype, she should have clearly recalled the day she compared him to a puzzle box. The truth was that she had not thought much about that conversation, and even wondered if she had said those words, when he gave it to her on her fourteenth birthday. _He was in Galactor, and still thought to make this._

It was not a manipulative gift. Sean had rarely used those talents on her, and never in a bad way. Previous gifts had shown a remarkable insight into what she might like. Only this gift, made specifically and especially for her, in memory of a barely-recalled conversation, had made him as uncomfortable as a boy on a blind date. Very much unlike his usual self.

She knew it was a puzzle box the moment she unwrapped it, and felt relief that she had not imagined that conversation. If she hadn't already loved him, that would have won her heart.

After the foolish rumors had poisoned her parents' minds, she never let on that he gave her anything. The small, purchased gifts would have brought enough questions. This, handmade and personal, would have upset them beyond reason.


End file.
